Improving your use of Salesforce doesn’t need to be a big project with development, testing and multiple releases. Even small changes can have a BIG impact.

Here are some additional quick, simple Salesforce tips to help you use Salesforce efficiently:

Clean Up Tasks

If you have a bunch of pesky, overdue tasks cluttering your list, how will you know what actually needs to be completed? Many times during implementation, data can be migrated from personal calendars or old systems and marked erroneously as incomplete. Just like your inbox, this list should be clean and only reflect missed or urgent tasks that need to be completed.

Validation Rules

Use Validation Rules to make sure Users enter data correctly. In the example below, the field ‘Other Lead Source’ is required to be filled in when the User chooses “Other” in the Lead Source picklist. Use any formula that returns True/False.

Add Lead Lists

If you have lead lists anywhere but Salesforce, now’s the time to compile them. You may have paper lists from trade shows or excel spreadsheets you’ve created or purchased. Regardless of where they came from, you should import them into Salesforce.

Filter Records with Views

List views are a great way to see only the records you are interested in. The example below shows a list of incomplete Project Milestones that the User is scheduled to start in the next week. After deciding which records you want displayed in the list, you can then choose which fields from those records to show in the list columns.

Merge Duplicates

Check for duplicate records and merge them. You know they are there! Any related records from the Leads are converted to the new merged Lead.

Transfer Records

Mass transfer records from one User to another. You don’t need to waste time individually changing record ownership. For Account & Lead records you’ll also get to choose which related records you’d like to keep or transfer.

Follow Best Practices for Activities

Activities in Salesforce are Tasks (including calls & emails) and Events. If you talk to a customer or prospect on the phone, log a call. If it’s regarding a particular Opportunity, make sure it’s logged on the Opportunity record. Want to follow up? Log a task to remind yourself.

Email Templates

Writing the same email over and over again? Create a template with custom merge fields.

HTML Letterhead

Use a simple letterhead with your company’s logo. This letterhead will be available for all HTML email templates for your team and keep your email designs consistent.

Declutter Tabs

Customizable Apps let you choose which tabs you want to see across the top of every Salesforce screen. Choose which ones you want to see and reorder into a system that makes sense for your workflow. Create multiple apps if you wear multiple hats at your company and perform very different types of work.

Custom Links

Define custom links for pages you visit frequently – both inside AND outside of Salesforce. Great for Reports and Views you want to look at daily. Add your company’s website homepage if you navigate there throughout the day.

Custom Buttons

Add custom button to any page layout with customized actions. The button below creates a completed task for the Account record you are on. Or, use the following URL to create a “Left Voicemail” button that logs a completed LVM task and a follow up 2 days from now: /00T/e?followup=1&title=Call&retURL=%2F{!Contact.Id}&who_id={!Contact.Id}&what_id={!Account.Id}&tsk5=LVM&tsk6=Left+a+voicemail+for+{!Contact.Name}&tsk5_fu=FU+VM+w+{!Contact.Name}+fr+{!Account.Name}&tsk4_fu={!TODAY()+2}

Google Map Button

Another great button to add to your Account Page Layout is one that will open the address for the Account in a Google Map. You could use a similar URL to search Google or Google News for the Account. If you want the map image displayed on the Account page, you can do so with Visualforce.

Clean Page Layouts

Keeping only the necessary fields on each page helps Users add data and promotes higher User adoption. Below is a simple example of what removing a handful of fields and related lists from the Lead Detail Page can accomplish. Do you really need all the fields you have on your pages?

The tips we’ve highlighted thus far can be used in any edition of Salesforce. If you have Enterprise or Unlimited Edition, these last couple of tricks are just for you.

Enterprise & Unlimited Edition Salesforce Only Tips

Schedule Dashboard Refresh

Dashboards need to be refreshed or the data will be out-of-date. In Group & Professional Edition Salesforce, you will need to do this manually. In Enterprise, you can schedule refreshes.

Update Fields Automatically

Using a Workflow Rule & Field Update, Salesforce will automatically change field values for you. In the example below, the Account Type field in changed to Customer when an Opportunity with that Account has the Status ‘Closed Won.’ Automate your standard business processes.